William Katt
| birthplace = Los Angeles, California USA | othername = Bill Katt | yearsactive = 1970–Present | spouse = Danielle Hirsch (1993-present) Deborah Kahane (1979-1986, divorced) | website = }} William Theodore Katt (born February 16, 1951) is an American film and television actor, best known as the star of The Greatest American Hero. He is also known for playing Tommy Ross, the ill-fated prom date of Carrie White in the film version of Carrie. Early life Katt was born in Los Angeles, California, the son of actor Bill Williams (real name Hermann Katt) and actress Barbara Hale. He grew up in the San Fernanado Valley and began acting while a teenager. Career Katt attended Orange Coast College before pursuing a career as a musician. He then started acting, appearing in summer stock and in small television roles. His earliest film credits include the role of a jock, Tommy Ross, in Brian DePalma's 1976 film Carrie, and the role of Sundance Kid in the 1979 film Butch and Sundance: The Early Days. The same year he also appeared as Barlow in the John Milius surf film Big Wednesday opposite Jan-Michael Vincent and Gary Busey. This role made him so well known in the surfing community that in 2004 he presented one of the Association of Surfing Professionals awards at their annual World championship tour ceremony, to wild applause from the crowd of professional surfers. Katt auditioned for the part of Luke Skywalker in 1977's Star Wars, and footage of his audition has been featured in many Star Wars documentaries. The role went to Mark Hamill, and Katt instead starred that year in First Love. !In 1981, Katt was cast as the title role in a filmed version of the Broadway musical comedy Pippin, which film received mixed reviews. He won his best remembered role that year, however, as Ralph Hinkley, a mild-mannered schoolteacher given a superpowered suit by aliens on the television series The Greatest American Hero, a role he played until the show was canceled in 1983. After The Greatest American Hero, Katt starred in the cult horror/comedy film House (1986) (reprising his role for the third sequel, House IV, in 1992) and played the recurring role of detective Paul Drake Jr. in the periodic Perry Mason TV movies of the late eighties. These co-starred his mother, Barbara Hale, who resumed her Della Street role from the original show, and Katt collaborated on some of the later scripts. Katt starred in the 1989 TV series Top of the Hill, and acted in the short-lived 1991 series Good Sports. Katt continues to appear on television and in supporting film roles, and has also branched out into voice acting. He appeared in an episode of House, M.D. in 2006. In recent years he has returned to genre work, with appearances in Andromeda and Justice League and roles in the award-winning film Gamers (2006), The Man from Earth (2007) and Alien vs Hunter (2007). Katt briefly appeared in Heroes season 3, "The Butterfly Effect", as a nosy reporter investigating Ali Larter's character. He portrayed Jack Matheson in the thriller film Mirrors 2.San Diego Comic-Con 2010: Exclusive Trailer Debut - Mirrors 2 Katt has also written a Greatest American Hero comic book, and contributed to that series' Facebook page.Spiegel, Danny. "Hero Worship" TV Guide; June 21, 2010; Page 77 Personal life Katt married Deborah Kahane in 1979 and has two sons by her. They divorced in 1986. He married Danielle Hirsch in 1993 and has a daughter with her. References External links *Audio interview with William Katt at comic book site comiXology * * Category:1951 births Category:American film actors Category:American voice actors Category:American television actors Category:Living people Category:Actors from Los Angeles, California de:William Katt es:William Katt fr:William Katt it:William Katt ja:ウィリアム・カット fi:William Katt nl:William Katt sv:William Katt